"If you've been making the mistake of paying attention to me this year, you've probably noticed the name Bloodbark tossed about all William Nilliam. This phenomenon has occurred for two reasons, the first of which being that you likely have terrible tastes in role models. The second, more important reason, is that Bonebranches comprises forty minutes ov the most magnificently Muppetous metal music made amidst the massive, miserable mess mankind'll 'member as '2018.'" Muppet bones.[Give in to your anger...]

"I’ve always thought that tech death and melodeath are more similar than most people realize. Both mainly use riffs comprised of individual notes played in succession, the difference is that tech death is faster, more complex, and typically has better T-shirts. I used to be quite interested in music which fused the two styles, namely early Arsis, early Revocation, and Vornagar’s sole album. These days I typically veer toward the blacker and thrashier realms, which is why I found it so surprising that Enblood’s Cast to Exile appealed to me as much as it did." Tentacles in your face.[Give in to your anger...]

"In November of 2017, Finland's Desolate Shrine released Deliverance From the Godless Void, an album so full of death and depth it would have been my AotY had it not released so late. While this year has furnished us with a selection of stirring doom albums, it still falls to Desolate Shrine mastermind L.L to concoct the most immersive and crushing of them all. Convocation is a project that balances L.L's multi-instrumental talents with the vocals of M. Neuman of fellow Finns Dark Buddha Rising. The resulting debut, Scars Across, is a remorseless trek through tortured terrain that never departs from its impending pace." Doom to the world.[Give in to your anger...]

"Those of you who have been following Angry Metal Guy’s Emporium of Curiosities since its inception may recognize this folk-doom metal band: Silent Stream of Godless Elegy. If you remember, His Overlordiness’ criticisms of their 2011 record, Návaz, regarded in no small part its lack of x-factor. While I only just discovered Silent Stream of Godless Elegy this year, I went back to hear their older records and I would agree; they lacked that intangible quality. Smutnice, however, resonates with me so completely I fear for the structural integrity of my bones." Everflowing Silent Streams.[Give in to your anger...]

"Göbekli Tepe, located in the southeastern part of Turkey, is believed to be the world's oldest temple, predating the pyramids by roughly 6,500 years. With recent diggings finding three-dimensional figures of animals and humanoids in a period where many believed hunter-gatherers couldn't possibly achieve such architecture, Göbekli Tepe continues to amaze historians just over twenty years after its excavation. It's fitting that a mysterious Italian duo, Order ov Riven Cathedrals, would use this phenomenon as the title for their second album of utterly crazy technical death metal." Olden worship.[Give in to your anger...]

"In many ways, Arbiter feels like the culmination of everything Hopesfall are. Much like their former swansong Magnetic North, the album takes influence from all the band’s eras while harboring their characteristic sense of longing and distance. Arbiter is the rare comeback album that doesn’t recapture the spirit of early works, it makes it sound like that spirit never left in the first place." Hopesfall springs eternal.[Give in to your anger...]

"2018 was the year Steel Druhm paid way more attention to what was going on with Bandcamp. I monitored what writers and readers were buying and recommending and found a few gems along the way. My favorite was II: Sojourn, the sophomore outing by U.K. retro rockers, Wytch Hazel." Rub it on.[Give in to your anger...]

"I have a bone to pick with one of you fvckers (you know exactly who you are). One dastardly individual introduced Paara’s Riitti to me this summer, and ever since it has wreaked havoc upon my once untroubled year end list. It also broke me, finally winning me over to the black metal camp to sing its praises until the day I ascend to the higher plane." Sound of a list shredding.[Give in to your anger...]

"Basic blasts, hammer blasts, gravity blasts, heel-toe blasts, bomb blasts, swivelling foot bomb blasts. Extreme metal certainly has all bases covered when it comes to extreme technical drumming. It's a race, people. Who can play the fastest? Who can hit those hollow boxes the hardest? Who can sweat the most? Speed isn't everything. In fact, speed can be a hindrance. Black metal is mostly known for its speed and rage, but its greatest asset is it's ability to formulate a sense of unease and evilness. For Kriegsmaschine evilness and unease are achieved not through blistering speed and ridiculous technical acrobatics, but by taking a step back and approaching things from a different angle." Murder maschines.[Give in to your anger...]

"As we approach the Days of Lists, you can expect to hear writers complain and/or praise the year in metal for what it gave us. I lean toward the camp that thinks 2018 wasn't a banner year for the genre, and as partial proof of that, I spent more time spinning a non-metal album than almost anything else I came across. That album is Alarms! by the Swedish post-punk, Goth-rock act, The Exploding Boy." Sound the Alarms![Give in to your anger...]